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Guatemala
Guatemala, officially the Republic of Guatemala (Spanish: República de Guatemala), is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Caribbean to the northeast, Honduras to the east, El Salvador to the southeast and the Pacific Ocean to the south. Besides being the largest country in Central America, it is also the most populous, with an estimated population of around 2.1 million. Guatemala is on paper a representative democracy with the actual power vested in the military junta that rules the country. Its capital and largest city is Guatemala City. History The recent history of Guatemala has been marked by political instability since the late 19th century. In 1898, Manuel Estrada Cabrera became president, a post he would continue to hold for the next 22 years. A member of the Liberal Party, Cabrera’s signature goal of developing the nation’s infrastructure was pursued by granting enormous concessions to the US-based United Fruit Company in exchange for funds. His regime became increasingly authoritarian and elections were widely regarded as rigged in the Liberal Party’s favor. A series of earthquakes in 1917-1918 severely damaged Guatemala City and erased what little industrial progress the Cabrera regime had made. As discontent mounted, the opposing Unionist Party was formed by a group of prominent conservatives including José Azmitia, Tácito Molina, Eduardo Camacho, Julio Bianchi, and Emilio Escamilla, in addition to strong support from the Catholic Church. The new party advocated Pan-Central Americanism and opposed American influence. Members of the Unionist Party prepared the “Three-Fold Act”, a pamphlet expressing opposition to the Cabrera government, and began distribution in Guatemala City on New Year’s Day 1920. Support for the Unionists swelled with protests breaking out in the capital. On March 11, a crowd of protestors was fired upon by government forces, but this action only served to increase anti-Cabrera sentiment. Soon after, President of the National Assembly Adrián Vidaurre, despite fierce resistance from Cabrera loyalists, declared the president unfit to rule and removed him from office. Carlos Herrera, a former member of the Liberal Party, was appointed the new president of Guatemala. Herrera had a difficult task, for though he represented the Unionist Party, he could not govern without the support of his former Liberal allies. In 1921, Herrera revoked the United Fruit Company’s concessions, infuriating the Liberals. Days later, General José María Orellana launched a military coup with the support of the Liberals and declared himself the new president. His first act was to reinstate the UFC’s concessions. Discontent did not end with the new government. In 1924, two major labor strikes broke out in quick succession: one among dockworkers and another among railroad workers. Both groups demanded increased wages and an eight-hour workday. In addition, the railroad workers desired the legalization of their trade union, the Railroad Society. Both strikes were believed to have received funding from the Mexican government. Orellana crushed the strikers with much violence and order was soon restored, but the event left a severe impact on the mindset of the working class. 1924 has since become known as “''El año de protesta''”: the “year of protest”. 1925 provided a rare victory for Orellana’s government. As the revolution in Britain sent the whole British Empire into chaos, Guatemala was finally able to press its long-standing claim to British Honduras, now known as Belize. Guatemalan troops advanced through the southern border, encountering some resistance from the largely pro-British populace but taking control of the colony in short order. In the following years, rumors spread that Orellana was going to declare martial law in order to deal with the socialist threat, but it never came to pass, presumably out of fear that it could inflame the opposition even further. Orellana has managed to maintain some stability through a combination of political manipulation, bribery, token reforms for the socialists, and financial assistance from the UFC. Observers have noted, however, that this stability is mostly illusory, and that a withdrawal of support from the UFC or the American government could severely weaken his rule. Politics Although nominally a democratic state under a multi-party system, Guatemala is currently ruled by a military junta led by President José María Orellana and his loyalists in the Liberal Party. President: José María Orellana Vice President: Jorge Ubico Foreign Minister: José María Reina Minister of Finance: R. Felipe Solares Minister of the Interior: Manuel María Orellana Contreras Minister of Justice: Input here. Minister of War: Input here. Military Army The Guatemalan Army comprises approximately 9000 active soldiers organized in two divisions. With the advantage of being the most populous country in Central America, Guatemala has the capacity to field the largest army in the region, if its reserves of manpower were tapped. Navy With no seafaring traditions, Guatemala lacks a proper navy. Air Force The Guatemalan Air Force was founded in 1921. It fields a small squadron of ten fighters. Foreign Relations Guatemala has friendly relations with the neighboring military-dominated governments of El Salvador and Honduras, in addition to the Central American "beacon of democracy" Costa Rica. Whilst being protected by the American Monroe Doctrine, the United States is also sympathetic to Orellana's military regime. Guatemala has unfriendly relations with the nearby socialist states of Mexico and Nicaragua. The West Indies Federation holds less than favorable view of Guatemala, as it still claims British Honduras for itself, after the Guatemalan troops forcefully seized it in 1925. Economy The Guatemalan economy is overwhelmingly agricultural and export-focused, with the primary crop being bananas. The United Fruit Company controls most of the fruit production and therefore dominates the economic life of the country. Recent strides in infrastructure, especially in the construction of new railroads, can be attributed to the UFC’s influence. Culture Until recently, Guatemala had an extremely high rate of illiteracy, around 96% in 1920. Reforms enacted by the Orellana government have brought this down to 75%. See Also *1925 British Revolution *Collapse of the British Empire *Costa Rica *El Salvador *Honduras *Mexico *Nicaragua *United States *West Indies Federation Category:Countries Category:North American countries